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Three Men in Fetters by Jim Ehrhard

John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress provides a wonderful contrast between true and false faith. Christian, possessing true faith, flees to the cross of Jesus where the burden on his back rolls away. His great joy at the occasion reveals that Christian has trusted in Christ alone as payment for his sins:

Thus far did I come laden with my sin;

Nor could ought ease the grief I was in,

Till I came hither: what a place is this!

Must here be the beginning of my bliss?

Must here the Burden fall from off my back?

Must here the strings that bound it to me crack?

Blest Cross! Blest Sepulchre! Blest rather be

The Man that there was put to Shame for me!

As he comes to the bottom of the hill, Christian sees three men asleep with fetters on their feet. One was called Simple, another Sloth, and the third, Presumption. Out of his love and concern for them, Christian tries to awaken them and warns them of the danger that awaits them. Each of these men portray many in our age. They have a belief of sorts, but their belief does not stir them to go to the cross—each delays for different reasons.

Many today are like Simple. When Christian warns him, he responds, “I see no danger.” Simple may depict those who take a simple approach to life and eternity. They believe what they can see and what they have experienced. What could be simplier than that? To them, there might be a God or there might not be. In either case, they have a simple view of God—He is love and He forgives, so no matter what they do, everything will be okay. They don’t want their life confused by theologies that tell them about God’s wrath or God’s holiness. It’s easier to believe in a God of love. It’s just that simple. Their simple view holds them like chains on their feet from coming to Christ.

Others are like Sloth. When Christina warns him, he replies, “Yet a little more sleep.” These people believe, they really do. They know there is a God, they know that Jesus died for sins, they know they need to repent and put their trust in Jesus to be saved. And they will—some day—but not now. They prefer to rest awhile. They prefe

r to enjoy the pleasures of this world a little longer. But one day (yawn), they intend to trust Christ—but not now. Their desire to delay until another day shackles them and keeps them from the cross which liberates for eternity.

Still others are like Presumption. He responds to Christian’s pleadings with a common proverb: “Every tub must stand on his own bottom.” Rather than trusting Christ, Presumption is being lured to sleep because he believes that each man should help himself. He is the self-made-man. He certainly intends to get to heaven, but he will do so through his own good deeds and good life. He will stand on his own bottom—he does not need to rely on anyone else.

Many are kept from heaven through such presumptions. Jonathan Edwards once surmised: “Every man flatters himself, thinking that he shall escape hell, by what he has done, or is doing, or one day intends to do.” That is an apt description of Presumption and his kin. Those who are presumptuous flatter themselves. They think they are better than God declares then to be. They think they have no need of a Savior.

Oh, they will quickly agree that others might need one. “If believing in Jesus helps you, that’s fine,” they say. But in reality, they pity you that you are not strong as they are. They will pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. Since they boast on earth about their own deeds, there will be no place for them in heaven because “no one will boast before the Lord.” The presumptuous are kept from the cross by their exalted views of themselves. They will not come to Christ because they do not see the depths of their sin.

As the three returned to their slumbers, Christian walked on, puzzled by their harshness to him and his desire to help. Bunyan records:

Yet he was troubled to think, that men in danger should so little esteem the kindness of him that so freely offered to help them, both by the awakening of them, counseling of them, and offering to help them off with their Irons.

So it is with those who are simple, slothful, and presumptuous. Even when believers seek to share the truth with them, they become angry and upset for having their sleep disturbed.

Are you in one of these conditions? Is your view of God and eternity simple or is it based on biblical truth? Do you plan to repent “one day,” but now you see no hurry? Do you think that each person has to do the best he can and God will accept that? Then your faith is not true faith. True faith sees the seriousness of the danger of eternal destruction of which God warns, sees the death of Jesus as sufficient to pay for all sins, and clings to Him alone for salvation. Don’t be chained away from the cross through simple beliefs, slothful attitudes, or presumption. Jesus says, “He that cometh to me I will never turn away.”